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Controversy trumps indifference when it comes to trends. A great runway show or an “It” accessory has the power to divide, delight, and disgust. Case in point: the boat shoe. Despite its polarizing history of the de facto footwear of men in golf polos, it has spent the past year sneaking its way into the wardrobes of women who have never stepped onto the deck of a sailboat.

Like its predecessors, the L.L.Bean Boat, the boat shoe is part of a peppy revival pulled from the pages of Take Ivy. To pinpoint the return, look first to Miu Miu, where on the spring 2024 runway the brand’s take was styled back to preppy staples like polos and plaid button-downs. Last September, Collina Strada and Monse followed suit in New York, styling boat shoes with trousers, blouses, and flouncy dresses. Substack writer Becky Malinsky zeroed in on Bally’s iteration as an “It” shoe last fall, and in January Jennifer Lawrence was spotted in The Row’s take.

Sperry is perhaps the best-known brand in the boat-shoe wheelhouse, having launched in 1937 and a year later becoming the standard-issue casual shoe for the U.S. Navy. As popularity ebbed and flowed, it served as the footwear of choice for everyone from Paul Newman to Alexa Chung (the latter managing to embrace it with a twinge of indie sleaze). In addition to luxury players, a host of smaller labels like Quoddy of Maine and Paraboot are making versions worth noting now.

After years of chasing after the next “It”-sneaker silhouette, boat shoes offer something simpler, akin to a sleek loafer. The material or color may change, but the silhouette stays the same. Worth noting this time around is the unique ways people are giving their pairs a personalized twist.

Linda Cui Zhang, associate fashion director at Nordstrom, ordered a pair of Sperrys last spring, inspired by the runways. Zhang, who grew up in North Carolina, associated the style with the coastal, preppy aesthetic. “They impressed me as a casual loafer,” she says. “Versatile enough to wear to the office, on campus, and at the beach.”

To put her own spin on them, she decked out the tan shoes with a collection of bold beads, inspired in part by the popularity of bag charms and a more personalized approach to accessorizing. “Having recently attended one of [jewelry brand] Don’t Let Disco’s beading bars to make a necklace, I was inspired to bead my boat shoe to add charm and a personal touch,” says Zhang. “I re-strung the Don’t Let Disco beads onto my Sperry laces.” Nordstrom has doubled down on Zhang’s styling with a collection of beaded boat shoes that launched earlier this month. Jonathan Frankel, president of Sperry, also notes that the prevalence on the runways over the past year has had a particularly impactful growth in female customers discovering the shoes for the first time. “As gender-neutral styling and menswear trends continue to take root in womenswear, the boat shoe is the perfect silhouette for the aesthetic,” he says.

Though this coming season may see the runways already jumping to the next “It”-shoe silhouette, on Instagram and IRL the trend is still in for smooth sailing.

Everlane designed its take on the boat shoe in three neutral colorways, meaning you can pick the one that best blends into your wardrobe.

J.Crew in collaboration with Sperry has created the perfect preppy version of the classic boat shoe. The blue and white colorway is fittingly nautical, no sailboat required.

Sperry’s collaboration with Nordstrom takes the OG shoe and adds a bold touch with the addition of colorful beads.

Classic, but with a twist, this Maine-based footwear brand offers another take on the quintessential New England shoe.

For the quiet-luxury connoisseur, a sleek, white take on the boat-shoe trend is an easy one that manages to stick to a minimalists’ aesthetic.

A little bit outside the box, this woven iteration of the classic boat shoe is the perfect pick for loafer aficionados looking for something new.

A shoe that’s made to order? Yes, really. This option by Quoddy of Maine is the ultimate luxury, a crafted-in-America shoe made just for you.

Made in a soft, summery suede, Miu Miu’s take on the boat shoe is simple and understated.

Sleek, with a cool touch, Bally’s take has found fans among fashion insiders.

If comfort is the goal, The Row’s take on Top-Siders, a soft leather moccasin, is less structured than other options on this list. If you’re looking for something that puts comfort at the top of the priorities list, might we suggest these?